​An amazing webinar I gave with my team in Australia, free for anyone to watch!! Enjoy!

Author

Hi, my name is Wahido Marata and I am a CLC, CCC, Certified Life & Career Coach by the ICF (International Coach Federation) committed to helping entrepreneurs go beyond struggles, limiting belief systems, boost their self-confidence, motivation and self-awareness. My goal is to assist entrepreneurs to create a strong mindset that allows them to exponentially increase their social media presence, create a massive action plan, resources and strategies to grow their business, learn how to generate more leads and sales online, learn how to make a bigger impact in the world with their work and increase revenue, learn how to build a solid rock reputation and how to grow and monetise instagram and other social media platforms. Get my free 30 minutes Accelerator Coaching Session www.wahidomarata.com/free-session.html

​Join Wahido's Newsletter!

Here's what you'll get from my newsletters!

• Discounts on my products and services.• Exclusive information and content, which only my subscribers receive.• Valuable tips, book recommendations, tools I use & much more.• You will be informed about what’s happening on my blog, podcast and YouTube channel.• You will be the first in line to be informed about upcoming FREE webinars.• Stay in touch with me and share the love ❤️

​Here's an excerpt of an interview I gave to Marcia Miatke about legacy and what is the ultimate aspiration I have in life (at least in this moment 😊). Enjoy and leave a comment about what is legacy for you.

Author

Hi, my name is Wahido Marata and I am a CLC, CCC, Certified Life & Career Coach by the ICF (International Coach Federation) committed to helping entrepreneurs go beyond struggles, limiting belief systems, boost their self-confidence, motivation and self-awareness. My goal is to assist entrepreneurs to create a strong mindset that allows them to exponentially increase their social media presence, create a massive action plan, resources and strategies to grow their business, learn how to generate more leads and sales online, learn how to make a bigger impact in the world with their work and increase revenue, learn how to build a solid rock reputation and how to grow and monetise instagram and other social media platforms. Get my free 30 minutes Accelerator Coaching Session www.wahidomarata.com/free-session.html

​​Join Wahido's Newsletter!

Here's what you'll get from my newsletters!

• Discounts on my products and services.• Exclusive information and content, which only my subscribers receive.• Valuable tips, book recommendations, tools I use & much more.• You will be informed about what’s happening on my blog, podcast and YouTube channel.• You will be the first in line to be informed about upcoming FREE webinars.• Stay in touch with me and share the love ❤️

​To me, life is pretty simple. There’s things you can control and others you can’t. Everything boils down to your actions and your mindset but there’s just far too many of you continuously caught up that just don’t see it that way.

This is my attempt to clear things up once and for all.

PEOPLE’S OPINIONS:

​Just don’t matter.

Most people get caught up in other people’s opinions because growing up that’s all they knew. They either had parents who made them insecure, were bullied in school, or had a girlfriend or boyfriend who instilled that venom in them. Me? I don’t give a shit. No one’s bias or uncontextualized thoughts are going to bring me down. Nobody can stop me from going where I want to go and so as long as I know my intentions are good and pure, you can keep those opinions to yourself.

Fuck what anybody else thinks. You’ve got one life. Are you really going to allow someone else, who likely has far more insecurities than you, bring you down from a stupid comment they made on social? I didn’t think so. So please stop dwelling on what others have to say. Nobody cares. This is your life. Do something about it.

EXPECTATIONS:

​Zero.

Nothing I do for anybody else comes with strings attached. I do what I do because selfishly, it makes me feel good. But do I expect anyone to return the favor? Never. I fully understand that anything I want in this world is on me. Period. The second you start relying on others to deliver what you want, you lose. This is on you, my friends. Live a life with zero expectations and you’ll never get hurt. Live a life knowing that your happiness and success are fully reliant on your actions and mindset, and you will win. Got it?

PERSPECTIVE:

​No matter how bad you think you have it, there’s somebody that has it far worse. And of course, there’s people in this world that are going through some horrific shit, but if you’re reading this article right now, I’m almost certain you don’t fall into that category, so please stop complaining. If you’re truly unhappy, then figure it the fuck out. Remove money from the equation and understand what makes you tick. Go all in on that and unlock the happiness you seek. Take advantage of all the resources we have out our disposal and put in the fucking work to make something happen. You have to be practical and you have to work your ass off to get there, but if it’s going to make you truly happy, then why would you consider anything else?

HARD WORK:

​The only thing we can control.

You may not be the smartest, the fastest, or the most well-rounded, but you have the same hours in the day as anybody else. You really want it that bad? Then you’ll put in the hours to get there. And if for whatever reason you don’t get what you initially set out to get, I promise you will still be better off for it. You’ll either stumble on something new that you didn’t initially think of, or, you’ll realize that what you originally wanted wasn’t actually what was going to make you happy. But there’s only one way to find out. WORK.

GRATITUDE:

​Be grateful. You’re here. It’s another day.

All the information in the world is at your fingertips. You want to learn something new? Cool. Go do it. You want to reach out to that person you admire? Great. Go hit them up directly. You want to escape from your reality and be entertained. Have at it. We’re living through the greatest era of all time and for whatever reason, there’s just far too many of you wasting time and complaining with your head down.

You know why I’m so grateful? Because I understand my history. I know what the generations before me went through and I fully understand how good we have it today. My grandparents were thrown in jail because they were Jewish men in Soviet Russia. And you think that you have it bad? Let’s get serious.

I get to wake up every day and do exactly what I love because I leverage the tools we’re all lucky enough to have in order to get there. I’m taking full advantage of this time we have and so many of you are acting like you have three lives to live.

Look, you have the same playing field that I do. You just have to understand yourself and your ambitions and put in the work to get to where you want to be. It’s that simple.

POSITIVITY:

​The greatest form of currency we have. If you understand everything I mentioned above then there’s no reason not to be positive, right? The power is in your hands. And you know what happens when you’re positive? It begins to rub off on those around you and suddenly your world gets that much better. Everybody has ‘something’ so before you judge or spew hate, realize that that we’re all living the same life, just in different bodies. We’re all the same, doing our best to navigate the world that we’ve been thrown into. And so, if there’s one thing I can entirely get rid of, it’s the negativity that so many of us default to. It’s only a reflection of you and your inner turmoil, so if you really want to leave a mark on this world, think before you leave that negative comment or talk behind that person’s back. Spread the love because karma is fucking practical. Do good and good will come back to you. Make positivity louder and begin to see the results.

If you’ve read this far, thank you for your attention. It goes without saying that it means the absolute world to me. I hope this piece helped you in even the slightest bit and if it did, please share with a friend that could also benefit from this.

Thanks for reading ❤

Author

Gary Vaynerchuk builds businesses: Fresh out of college, Gary grew his family wine business from a $3M to $60M in sales. Now, he runs VaynerX, a modern day communications holding company which owns VaynerMedia–one of the world’s fastest growing full service creative agencies and premiere women’s publisher PureWow. Along the way, Gary became a prolific angel investor and venture capitalist, investing in companies including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Uber, and Birchbox before co-founding VaynerRSE, a $25M investment fund. Gary is currently the subject of #DailyVee, an online documentary series about his life as a CEO. He also hosts #AskGaryVee, a business Q&A series where Gary answers questions about social media, entrepreneurship, startups, and more based on a lifetime of building successful, multi-million dollar businesses.

​Join Wahido's Newsletter!

Here's what you'll get from my newsletters!

• Discounts on my products and services.• Exclusive information and content, which only my subscribers receive.• Valuable tips, book recommendations, tools I use & much more.• You will be informed about what’s happening on my blog, podcast and YouTube channel.• You will be the first in line to be informed about upcoming FREE webinars.• Stay in touch with me and share the love ❤️

​Understanding one's frequency and how important it is makes us more confident and more sensitive to our inner and outer energies! Agree? Leave a comment below!

Author

Hi, my name is Wahido Marata and I am a CLC, CCC, Certified Life & Career Coach by the ICF (International Coach Federation) committed to helping entrepreneurs go beyond struggles, limiting belief systems, boost their self-confidence, motivation and self-awareness. My goal is to assist entrepreneurs to create a strong mindset that allows them to exponentially increase their social media presence, create a massive action plan, resources and strategies to grow their business, learn how to generate more leads and sales online, learn how to make a bigger impact in the world with their work and increase revenue, learn how to build a solid rock reputation and how to grow and monetise instagram and other social media platforms. Get my free 30 minutes Accelerator Coaching Session www.wahidomarata.com/free-session.html

​Join Wahido's Newsletter!

Here's what you'll get from my newsletters!

• Discounts on my products and services.• Exclusive information and content, which only my subscribers receive.• Valuable tips, book recommendations, tools I use & much more.• You will be informed about what’s happening on my blog, podcast and YouTube channel.• You will be the first in line to be informed about upcoming FREE webinars.• Stay in touch with me and share the love ❤️

1. FIGURE YOURSELF OUT.

Self awareness the biggest keys to my success.

There are SO many people out there who are working jobs they hate because they haven’t found their passion.

It’s why so many people struggle with working 18 hours a day. If you don’t love what you do, of course it’s going to be hard to put in work. It’s hard to spend time doing something you’re not excited about.

One way you can do this is by asking the five people that you know best.

You can split them into two categories: People who you deeply love, and people who you’re close with.

Then, ask them to tell you what they think about your skills, abilities, and weaknesses.

I genuinely believe that collecting data from the “market” after creating an atmosphere where people can be safe with you. For example, someone might not want to be totally honest with you because they’re afraid it’ll hurt your feelings.

But you need that honesty to find out what you’re good at.

2. DO WHAT YOU LOVE.

​Everything starts with yourself. If you’re self aware, you’ll know exactly how to navigate your life.

Look yourself in the mirror, and ask yourself: “What do I want to do every day for the rest of my life?”

Do that.

So many people are struggling with the thought of monetizing their passion. But no matter what it is, I promise that can find a way to monetize.

Doesn’t matter if you love the Smurfs, Spongebob, Elf, or anything else.

3. PUT IN THE WORK.

​To be great, I think you have to fight.

My dad came to the US with no language skills and zero dollars. We lived in a studio apartment the size of his office with multiple family members. He got a stock job for 2 bucks an hour in New Jersey, learned English, saved all his money, worked 18 hours a day, bought a store, had a business, and did all this in a 5-year period with no base.

I very much think that my success as a product is in large part because I’m willing to outwork people. The fact that I’ve been working 19 hours a day every day for the last 20 years is easy for me.

Let’s say I played Roger Federer right now in tennis. Let’s say I had the greatest tennis racket ever made, and he had a John McEnroe 1974 tennis racket. He could still beat me — just like I’m beating salespeople that have every salesforce, every tool, every feature, and went to every sales conference.

I’ll beat them every day of the week because I have talent, and I’ve worked to hone my craft.

Stay humble and work hard on your craft, and you’ll see some great things happen.

4. DON’T DWELL ON MISTAKES (EVERYONE ELSE IS ALREADY DOING THAT FOR YOU)

​People love to ask me about mistakes I’ve made in the past.

The truth is, I’ve always struggled in answering that question.

It’s not that I get nothing wrong. I get many things wrong.

For example, I was a breakout YouTube star in 2006. Then, I decided that the right strategy was to leave YouTube completely and go to Viddler because Viddler offered me equity in their company. Even though the attention was on YouTube, I moved over to Viddler because I was tempted by short term economics.

I could’ve had millions of more subscribers than I do now on YouTube if I had just stayed the course.

Here’s another one: I passed on investing in Uber twice in the angel round.

Even though the founder Travis Kalanick is one of my best friends, I passed on investing. And that mistake cost me hundreds of millions of dollars.

So I make mistakes all the time.

I’m adjusting my strategy at VaynerMedia everyday because of a mistake I made the prior year.

It’s just that I can’t recall my mistakes once they happen.’

I just don’t care about my mistakes everybody else cares about my mistakes.

If you’re judging yourself for your own mistakes you’ve already lost.

5. BE 100% ACCOUNTABLE.

What a lot of people don’t understand is, accountability sits very close to happiness.

When you blaming someone else, you feel like you’re not in control. You feel helpless, like there’s nothing you can do about your situation.

It’s why I blame myself for everything. I think everything is my fault.

If an employee turns out to be toxic, I hired that person. If an employee messes up, I created the process they’re following.

So many of you are pointing fingers at other people — your parents, your environment, your teachers, or where you grew up.

Of course, there are a lot of bad things that can happen to people. People get abused, people get killed, that’s real.

But for 95% of people, it’s about mindset.

Blame everything on yourself, and you’ll be stunned how happy you become.

6. BE GRATEFUL RIGHT NOW.

​What I told you this was the last day of your life? What if I told you you’d die this week?

Would you complain about your crap job or that test you don’t want to take?

I doubt it. You’d go much higher level thinking.

You need to understand that if you’re not pumped right now, if you’re not looking forward to it, then your game is broken.

Look… don’t get me wrong. I respect practicality.

You got to go through school because your parents want to. You’ve got to pay your rent. You got student loans. I get it.

But think about it: it’s incredible that you’re even alive. Your mom and dad could have had sex a couple of minutes later, and you wouldn’t even exist. You could’ve ended up as a tree, or a bird.

And not just that… we’re living in a world where there’s SO much more opportunity for us than there was for our parents or grandparents. The internet completely changed the game for everyone.

I just don’t get the mentality of complaining on Monday morning, or living for the weekends.

If you’re reading this, I implore you to take a step back and think about how awesome life actually is. Recognize that you can attack the world in a totally different way because you were lucky enough to be born during this era.

It’s unbelievable how good we actually have it.

So many people get caught up in day-to-day headaches, but in the macro, almost none of those things matter.

There are so many people in the world who have it much worse. There are people who have to live through the death of their children. There are people living in areas where there’s massive genocide going on. People out there are being persecuted and killed.

We don’t have real problems.

To me, nothing stands close to the health and well being of my family. That’s why it’s easy for me to be happy.

We’re very strong. We’re just being sold that we’re not. There’s just a lot of money in telling us that we’re not rich enough, pretty enough, or good enough.

I’m here to tell you that you’re the best. Go do sh*t.

7. BE A PRACTITIONER.

Most people are “headline readers.”

It’s especially true when it comes to social media. Most people out there are just reading headlines instead of going deep and really understanding each platform.

It’s why so many people have opinions when it comes to running ads on Facebook or Instagram, even though they’ve never actually tried running ads on those platforms.

Headline readers don’t think that B2B is happening on Facebook. Practitioners are exploiting it and making real money.

Headline readers think that you have to make short videos on social media. Practitioners are making 20, 30, 40 minute videos telling their story, and re-marketing to the people who want in.

The most important think you can do in life is be a practitioner. The ones who do will see disproportionate returns.

​8. IT’S BETTER TO BE FAST THAN TO BE PERFECT.

Speed is 4 billion times more important than perfection.

Working faster is something that I don’t think people talk about enough.

At one point, I was debating with my Chief of Staff, Tyler, why I have three hours of down time in Boise, Idaho. We spent time deciding whether I should squeeze that into 15-minute phone call or fly back to NYC.

On a daily basis, I’m scrutinizing my 12 to 15 hour days, down to the second. I’m trying to fill in as much smart work into that bucket as possible.

Train yourself to do a little bit more in each hour than you normally would. Every day, add something. And get it all done.

Maybe that means scheduling non-negotiable time for a project if it’s that important. Maybe you need to work more odd hours.

In time, you’ll see that you’re doing much more in a day because you’re moving faster.

​9. DON’T CARE WHAT OTHERS HAVE.

You don’t want the same things that your friends want. So why do you care what they have?

One of the biggest mistakes that people make is caring what other people have.

It’s the reason I don’t get caught in “keeping up with the Jones’s.”

When people ask me which entrepreneurs I look up to, my answer usually surprises them. I don’t answer with the cliche “Steve Jobs”, “Elon Musk”, or other billionaires.

I’m inspired by people in the dirt. Normal people in average jobs who decide that they want to build something for themselves. People who don’t “get” Facebook or Instagram, but are determined to figure it out. People who have humility to put in work in the face of judgement.

I don’t care if you have a Rolex. I don’t care if you’ve got a fancy house. I don’t care if you’re on vacation in Ibiza.

That’s why it’s easy for me to not get jealous of people.

If you’re worrying about other people’s accomplishments, that’s a losing formula.

10. CARE MORE ABOUT YOUR LEGACY THAN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT.

The most successful entrepreneurs are driven by legacy over currency.

I’m obsessed with my legacy.

Every decision I make is predicated on the long term.

It’s not about what’s in my bank account. It’s about how many people will show up to my funeral.

If there’s one thing I hope becomes evident through my actions, it’s that I’m patient. I play the long game.

I want to have a big impact on the world, not just the people closest to me. I want my work to impact people. I want to make a real difference by allowing others to siphon my advice and become successful in their own pursuits. Whether as an entrepreneur or an artist or a lawyer or just a good, compassionate human behind.

I’m documenting my journey through my vlog, not just because I like that attention, but because I think it will be the ultimate resource for generations to come.

When you care about your legacy, it eliminates short-term financial aspirations. Caring about your legacy will still lead to long-term financial accomplishments, but it will happen in a far better way.

When you care what other people say behind your back, you start treating people like they matter. You start treating people with kindness and respect.

I genuinely believe that legacy should be something we push more of in the public conversation, not just in entrepreneurship, but in life.

Author

Gary Vaynerchuk builds businesses: Fresh out of college, Gary grew his family wine business from a $3M to $60M in sales. Now, he runs VaynerX, a modern day communications holding company which owns VaynerMedia–one of the world’s fastest growing full service creative agencies and premiere women’s publisher PureWow. Along the way, Gary became a prolific angel investor and venture capitalist, investing in companies including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Uber, and Birchbox before co-founding VaynerRSE, a $25M investment fund. Gary is currently the subject of #DailyVee, an online documentary series about his life as a CEO. He also hosts #AskGaryVee, a business Q&A series where Gary answers questions about social media, entrepreneurship, startups, and more based on a lifetime of building successful, multi-million dollar businesses.

​​Join Wahido's Newsletter!

Here's what you'll get from my newsletters!

• Discounts on my products and services.• Exclusive information and content, which only my subscribers receive.• Valuable tips, book recommendations, tools I use & much more.• You will be informed about what’s happening on my blog, podcast and YouTube channel.• You will be the first in line to be informed about upcoming FREE webinars.• Stay in touch with me and share the love ❤️

1. NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS. THEY’VE GOT THEIR OWN TEARS.

​I can’t expect anyone to listen to my complaints when I know they’ve got issues to deal with too. They have their own “tears” to worry about.

So many people judge books by their covers and take a look at someone’s status, wealth, good looks, friends, and just assume that they’re happy.

My friends, happiness is the ROI, not paper.

So… how do I live?

I made my bed and my situation is mine — the best way to fix stuff is not to cry about it to a someone who has their own issues to deal with.

2. REPROGRAM YOUR POSITIVITY / NEGATIVITY SCALE

​I know so many people who have it “made” and complain daily, and others that have it so hard that are always happy.

If there’s anyway you can challenge yourself in 2019 to start looking at the world with a more glass half full mentality, way more “yes” and way less “no”, so much can happen.

​Brandon Warnke, my best friend since age 14, is the best executive at Wine Library because of his mindset. He didn’t have an easy childhood. He deals with all the biggest issues at the shop and he does it with a smile. People underneath him cry with far less pressure.

Along those same lines, I see executives at VaynerMedia who handle pressure champs and those who “cry wolf” at things that are one-eighth as important. Please for your own happiness, make 2019 a reprogramming of the positivity / negativity scale.

3. WORK FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME

​People love entrepreneurship and owning a business when it leads to fame and fortune. The issue is, we have lived through so many years of prosperity and many youngsters get into the game for those things.

I really hope you’re “here” for the love of the game because that’s who will be able to navigate the waters when the economy melts. More importantly, loving this journey is the quickest path to happiness.

So whether you’re an entrepreneur who makes $2.7 million / year or one that makes $27,000 / year… whether you’re one that works 37 hours a week or one that works 98… whether you’re a teacher, lawyer, truck driver, eBay flipper, executive… make sure you’re doing what you love.

4. 99.9% OF PEOPLE THAT JUDGE YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT’S GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE

​Once you truly understand this, two amazing things start to happen:

It allows you to really take all insults and judgements with a grain of salt. They don’t know you, they only know a small % of you. Even the 10 people closest to you don’t know everything about you. They don’t know everything that’s going on in your mind or heart. They don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors.

So please, when someone spits hate or criticism remember: They honestly don’t know you and it’s often times a much bigger reflection on them than you.

You stop judging others and thinking you know everything about them. Always remember, you’re only seeing a small piece of that person’s life. You don’t have full context.

5. YOU’RE NOT LOST OR CONFUSED. YOU HAVEN’T EVEN STARTED.

​This applies to people under 40.

You’re not lost or confused, you haven’t even started. Take a deep breath, and remember that happiness is what you’re chasing. Not fundraising, not money, not awards or accolades.

In fact, what most of you are doing is allowing your insecurities to dictate your angst because you’re so passionate to “show” your parents or friends that you’re successful.

Want to prove something? Prove that you are enjoying the process of figuring yourself out and chasing your current ambitions and curiosities.

6. FALL IN LOVE WITH “NO”

​I love “no.” It’s my biggest advantage.

Most people don’t understand that purebred entrepreneurs grew up getting unlimited “no’s” and they fall in love with it.

So many people are so insecure that they put the “no” on themselves. I put the “no” on the other person or the circumstances. I don’t dwell on my “no.” I don’t internalize my “no.” I turn it into a mix of motivation, empathy, and acceptance, and I spit it back out!

7. IF THE VOICE IN YOUR HEAD IS NEGATIVE, SOMEONE MANIPULATED IT

​I’m tired of people thinking that “their voice in their head” is the one telling them they “can’t” or that they’re not good enough.

So much of life is about self-esteem vs insecurities.

That inner voice that spits negativity back at you isn’t talking to you, it’s someone who manipulated your mind at a young age and created the division within yourself.

Author

Gary Vaynerchuk builds businesses: Fresh out of college, Gary grew his family wine business from a $3M to $60M in sales. Now, he runs VaynerX, a modern day communications holding company which owns VaynerMedia–one of the world’s fastest growing full service creative agencies and premiere women’s publisher PureWow. Along the way, Gary became a prolific angel investor and venture capitalist, investing in companies including Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Uber, and Birchbox before co-founding VaynerRSE, a $25M investment fund. Gary is currently the subject of #DailyVee, an online documentary series about his life as a CEO. He also hosts #AskGaryVee, a business Q&A series where Gary answers questions about social media, entrepreneurship, startups, and more based on a lifetime of building successful, multi-million dollar businesses.

​Join Wahido's Newsletter!

Here's what you'll get from my newsletters!

• Discounts on my products and services.• Exclusive information and content, which only my subscribers receive.• Valuable tips, book recommendations, tools I use & much more.• You will be informed about what’s happening on my blog, podcast and YouTube channel.• You will be the first in line to be informed about upcoming FREE webinars.• Stay in touch with me and share the love ❤️

​In this video I will share with you some tips and tools that can help you to positively to influence your dreams and your dream state! Let me know what you think, it would mean the world to me!

Author

Hi, my name is Wahido Marata and I am a CLC, CCC, Certified Life & Career Coach by the ICF (International Coach Federation) committed to helping entrepreneurs go beyond struggles, limiting belief systems, boost their self-confidence, motivation and self-awareness. My goal is to assist entrepreneurs to create a strong mindset that allows them to exponentially increase their social media presence, create a massive action plan, resources and strategies to grow their business, learn how to generate more leads and sales online, learn how to make a bigger impact in the world with their work and increase revenue, learn how to build a solid rock reputation and how to grow and monetise instagram and other social media platforms. Get my free 30 minutes Accelerator Coaching Session www.wahidomarata.com/free-session.html

​​​Join Wahido's Newsletter!

Here's what you'll get from my newsletters!

• Discounts on my products and services.• Exclusive information and content, which only my subscribers receive.• Valuable tips, book recommendations, tools I use & much more.• You will be informed about what’s happening on my blog, podcast and YouTube channel.• You will be the first in line to be informed about upcoming FREE webinars.• Stay in touch with me and share the love ❤️

> Ashwagandha supports sexual and reproductive health in both men and women. In men, it helps boost testosterone levels, and has been shown to improve semen quality in infertile men​> In women, ashwagandha’s ability to rebalance hormones (including thyroid hormone, estrogen and progesterone) has been shown to improve polycystic ovary syndrome and relieve menopausal symptoms

​Known as a multipurpose herb and "rejuvenator" used in ancient Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for thousands of years, ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a plant native to India with a host of bioactive functions.

Ashwagandha is a member of the Solanaceae family along with eggplant and tomato. It bears light green flowers that evolve to bright red fruit and is able to survive extreme temperatures and widely varying altitudes.

In Sanskrit, the word ashwagandha means "odor of a horse." The likeness refers not only to the odor of the plant's root but the essence of strength it's said to deliver. It's a powerful adaptogenic herb, meaning it helps your body manage and adapt to stress by balancing your immune system, metabolism and hormonal systems.

Ashwagandha also has natural pain reliever (analgesic) properties, can help increase physical strength, and its rejuvenating effects can promote general health when used regularly. While some adaptogens are stimulants in disguise, this is not the case with ashwagandha. It can give your morning exercise routine a boost, and when taken prior to bed it can help you get a good night's sleep as well.

​The Main Bioactive Components in Ashwagandha

​Flavonoids and other compounds are the active ingredients that give ashwagandha its many powerful properties. In one study, bioactive withanolides — naturally occurring steroids — in ashwagandha were identified as agents that suppress pathways responsible for several inflammation-based illnesses, including arthritis, asthma, hypertension, osteoporosis and cancer.

Withanolides in ashwagandha also have immunomodulating properties, described as substances that can either stimulate or suppress your immune system to help fight infections, cancer and other diseases.

One of the alkaloids in ashwagandha, called somniferin, helps promote relaxation and sound sleep. In fact, the botanical name "somnifera" means the herb induces sleep. A study at the University of Tsukuba in Japan also found it relieves related problems such as insomnia and restless leg syndrome.

​Ashwagandha Eases Stress and Anxiety

As an adaptogen, ashwagandha is frequently used to support healthy adrenal function, which can be adversely affected by persistent stress, be it physical or psychological. Research shows the root reduces cortisol levels, restores insulin sensitivity and helps to stabilize mood.

In one placebo-controlled clinical trial, volunteers with a history of chronic stress who took 300 milligrams (mg) of ashwagandha twice a day reported significant reductions in stress, and testing revealed their cortisol levels decreased by an average of nearly 28 percent after 60 days of supplementation.

In another study, patients diagnosed with moderate to severe anxiety who were treated with ashwagandha reported "significantly decreased" symptoms compared to those undergoing more conventional interventions.

A third study found "empirical evidence to support the traditional use of [ashwagandha] to aid in mental process engaging GABAergic signaling." According to the authors:

"Our results provide evidence indicating that key constituents in [ashwagandha] may have an important role in the development of pharmacological treatments for neurological disorders associated with GABAergic signaling dysfunction such as general anxiety disorders, sleep disturbances, muscle spasms and seizures."

Ashwagandha for Sexual Health and Fertility

Ashwagandha also supports sexual and reproductive health in both men and women, and may be used as an aid to boost your libido. In men struggling with infertility, ashwagandha has been shown to balance their luteinizing hormone, which controls reproductive organ function in both men and women. Ashwagandha can also help boost testosterone levels in men, which can have a beneficial effect on libido and sexual performance.

In one placebo-controlled trial, men between the ages of 18 and 50 were given either a placebo or 300 mg of ashwagandha root extract twice a day in addition to participating in a strength training program. After eight weeks, those taking ashwagandha had greater increases in testosterone, muscle size and strength, compared to those taking a placebo.

It's also been shown to improve the quality of semen in infertile men, in part by inhibiting reactive oxygen species and improving essential metal concentrations, including zinc, iron and copper levels. Other research suggests ashwagandha improves semen quality by regulating important reproductive hormones.

In Ayurvedic medicine, ashwagandha is classified as "Rasayana," a type of essence that helps in the healing of the body and the lengthening of life, and when you consider the many varied health benefits of this herb, it's easy to see how it might influence longevity.

Importantly, a number of studies have shown this exotic herb can treat several diseases and disorders better than medications — without all the side effects. For example, studies show ashwagandha has antitumor and blood production (hemopoietic) capabilities, and benefits the cardiopulmonary, endocrine and central nervous systems, all "with little or no associated toxicity." Ashwagandha has also been shown to: https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2019/02/18/ashwagandha-benefits

Author

In 2009, Dr. Mercola was named the top Ultimate Wellness Game Changer by the Huffington Post, an honor that celebrates “100 innovators, visionaries and leaders in 10 categories who are harnessing the power of new media to reshape their fields and change the world.” HuffPost readers voted me to the top to receive this special award. His passion is to transform the traditional medical paradigm in the United States, and that consumes most of my free time. For 40 years since 1968, he has been an active runner; he completed the Chicago Marathon in just over three hours, among other accomplishments. Dr. Mercola also has been a computer hobbyist since 1985, with an interest in the internet that dates back to the early ‘90s.

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Hi, my name is Wahido Marata and I am a CLC, CCC, Certified Life & Career Coach by the ICF (International Coach Federation) committed to helping entrepreneurs go beyond struggles, limiting belief systems, boost their self-confidence, motivation and self-awareness. My goal is to assist entrepreneurs to create a strong mindset that allows them to exponentially increase their social media presence, create a massive action plan, resources and strategies to grow their business, learn how to generate more leads and sales online, learn how to make a bigger impact in the world with their work and increase revenue, learn how to build a solid rock reputation and how to grow and monetise instagram and other social media platforms. Get my free 30 minutes Accelerator Coaching Session www.wahidomarata.com/free-session.html

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Hi, my name is Wahido Marata and I am a CLC, CCC, Certified Life & Career Coach by the ICF (International Coach Federation) committed to helping entrepreneurs go beyond struggles, limiting belief systems, boost their self-confidence, motivation and self-awareness. My goal is to assist entrepreneurs to create a strong mindset that allows them to exponentially increase their social media presence, create a massive action plan, resources and strategies to grow their business, learn how to generate more leads and sales online, learn how to make a bigger impact in the world with their work and increase revenue, learn how to build a solid rock reputation and how to grow and monetise instagram and other social media platforms. Get my free 30 minutes Accelerator Coaching Session www.wahidomarata.com/free-session.html

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